


Distorted Ambience

by SisterWine



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Choosing is hard, Gen, M/M, Marriage is sacred, Slow Burn, love is love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:52:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SisterWine/pseuds/SisterWine
Summary: Disclaimer: Law & Order: SVU (2000) characters and settings belong to series creator Dick Wolf and Universal Studios. My characters consist of Erik Matthews, Justin Paxton, Jake Martinelli, Alex and Russell Anders. No harm intended, no moneys exchanged. Not for profit other than personal enjoyment. I do NOT buy, sell, trade or lend my stories. This work is purely fiction.Summary: Alternate Universe continuation of my fic, "The Devil You Know." SVU team try to figure out who murdered Jacob Martinelli. Elliot Stabler makes a life changing choice.





	1. Chapter 1

Kevin Monroe  
427A North Amhurst Rd  
Queens, New York

Stabler and Benson stood on the doorstep of a condo. Elliot knocked on the door and held up his badge to the peephole. When the door opened, they introduced themselves to the man, who was getting ready for work. "Kevin Monroe? I'm Detective Stabler. My partner, Detective Benson. Mind if we ask you a few questions?" He took in the man's appearance and as the door opened more, could see odd similarities between Kevin and Detective Anders.

The man's brow furrowed briefly as he held the door open for the two detectives to step in, closing it behind them. "What's this about?" Well-groomed brown hair was parted on the right, letting a few strands of bangs fall over his forehead. Leading them in from the front door, down a small, darkened hallway spilling out into the front room, with the kitchen to the right and the stairs to the bedrooms, on the left, he showed them into the living room. He had finished buttoning his pressed white shirt before picking up the gray tie from hanging over the back of the wicker-backed barstool, from the kitchen countre and placing it around his shoulders before tying it.

"Do you know an Erik Matthews?" Olivia stopped in the middle of the white shag carpet of the living room. She stared out at the view of the city, from large, floor to ceiling length windows, her back to the front door. She glanced down at the glass table between them and the plush white, three cushion sofa that faced them. She noted the bowl of half-eaten cereal and milk placed on the opposite side of the sofa and a large throw pillow on the floor, in front of it.

Kevin stopped fixing his tie and stared at her, as if shocked by the name. "Yea, I know him. Why?" After a deep breath, he calmed himself and reached for his coffee cup of half-full coffee that he had been sipping, prior to the knock on the door.

Elliot cleared his throat and checked his notes. "You were friends with Alex Anders?" 

"Operative words being 'were friends'? Yea, I was friends with Alex. A long time ago. Something happened to them?" Kevin's eyebrow raised as he heard his old friend's name and waved a hand to the gray armchair, to his left, for Elliot to sit down and offered Olivia the twin chair, to his right.

Sitting down on the edge of the seat and placing his notepad on his right knee, Elliot covered his writing and looked up at the man as he sat back down on the sofa. "They're fine, actually. We're investigating the death of Erik's ex-lover, Jacob Martinelli. Ever meet him?" Making eye contact with Kevin, he watched the man's expression closely.

Kevin shook his head. "Was that the asshole that was in the news for killing that kid? Never met him and, for that, I'm grateful."

"Why's that?" Olivia asked, sitting down on the chair across from Elliot.

After taking a sip of coffee, Kevin cleared his throat. "From what I read in the papers, what he and the other guy did to Erik, was damn right shameful. Erik didn't deserve that. The other kid, either." He glanced up, at the balcony, and stared at his daughter's closed bedroom door. "Casey, honey, let's go." He called before turning back to the detectives. His downstairs was virtually spotless, with white polished tile and very few trinkets or photos around the living room. The second floor of the condo only took up half of the downstairs, leaving the living room open with a high ceiling.

Elliot leaned forward and looked up from his notes. "How long have you known Alex Anders?"

Kevin sighed and looked up at his daughter's door, after hearing it open and seeing the twelve-year-old step out, still in her pajamas, with a towel and an armful of clothing, heading towards the guest bathroom. "We met in junior high. Plus, he lived down the street so, our meeting was inevitable." He smiled as he recalled racing bicycles up and down the street, where they lived.

"When did he find out you were gay?" Olivia asked.

Kevin shrugged. "Around the same time, I guess. I mean, it's kinda hard to remain oblivious when your best friend is checkin' guys out in third period PE"

Nodding, Elliot raised an eyebrow. "He didn't care that you were gay?"

Laughing and shaking his head, Kevin took another sip of his coffee. "No. As long as I didn't get frisky with him, he was fine."

"What about Erik?" Olivia asked.

"What about him?" Kevin quirked an eyebrow at her. 

Olivia watched him as he finished his bowl of cereal and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin he had sitting neatly folded, beside the bowl. "Do you know when Detective Anders found out Erik was gay?"

Another shrug as Kevin sat back with his cup of coffee in hand. "His mom knew, though; Erik's. I think Alex's mom did too but, didn't really say anything. All I know is, the day after Alex found us together, the Captain threw Erik out. If I had to take a guess,... I'd say right around when Erik was in eighth grade. But, when Alex found out and when it finally dawned on him were two different things."

Elliot nodded. "We understand they weren't the closest of brothers."

"Erik was always hanging around us. Wanted to go to the movies with us, play ball with us, or just be included in whatever Alex and I did." Shaking his head, Kevin agreed. "Alex wanted nothing to do with him. He only let Erik hang around because his old man told him so. Erik could have gotten lost or taken and Alex wouldn't have cared. When his mom got sick, Erik stopped everything and lived for her. She must have gotten tired of him or saw that he was spending way too much time at home so, she asked Alex and I to take him to a ball game or something, one day after school. He was like fourteen or so. That's too young to have so much weight on your shoulders and I think she knew it."

"When did you start having feelings for him?" Olivia inquired, still writing but glanced up as she finished.

Kevin smiled at the memory. "When his mom went into hospice, Erik became really withdrawn. Only left his room to go to school and visit her, then, right back to his room and stayed there. The kid didn't have a friend in the world and Alex wasn't making his life any easier with the taunting and teasing with Erik crying at everything. So, what started out as a 'hey, how are ya?' passing conversation, in the kitchen, fifteen minutes turned into an hour and then, eventually a hangout." He paused to think about the differences between brothers. "Erik was a sweet kid. Beats me how he got involved with the Martinellis. Yea, he was annoying at times but, he looked up to Alex and just wanted to be a part of the family. The Captain, though,..." Kevin shook his head. "The Captain thought those two were like little soldiers. He was constantly yelling at them for whatever reason."

Olivia's brow furrowed. "Did you ever see him get physical with them?" She looked up from her writing and watched Kevin's expression closely as the man on the sofa stared straight, at a spot on the far wall, by the door.

Kevin turned to look at the female detective. "No but he had a temper so, I wouldn't have been surprised. When Alex went into football, the Captain went to all the games but took it personal when Erik did things like Home Ec. or Debate Team. And, let me tell you, he was a force to be reckoned with at the debate tournaments."

Elliot smiled. "He was a hell of a lawyer, too."

"So I hear."

"When was the last time you and Erik saw each other?" Olivia asked and then glanced up as the upstairs bathroom door opened and Casey, now clean and fully clothed, stepped out and made her way back to her room while struggling to clip a barrette to the end of a long braid.

Kevin sighed and watched the twelve-year-old walk down the hallway. "About fifteen, sixteen years ago. Alex found us together, pulled us outta bed, knocked Erik around a bit and then chased me out of the house and down the street. Alex could get very possessive about things." Taking a breath, he stood up and gathered his coffee cup and neglected bowl of cereal. "Ten minutes, Case." His voice carried out to the whole condo. 

After a moment, a muffled and annoyed "kay" was the response from behind the guest bathroom door.

Elliot nodded again and stood up. "You were never interested in pursuing a relationship with Erik, after that?"

Again, Kevin laughed. He had asked himself that same question many times, over the years but never brought himself to answer it. "It wouldn't have worked. Erik was a good kid, great kisser and friend but, he wanted a relationship. I just wanted the fun. Besides, although it would have made an interesting sex life, two tops aren't a good foundation for a home life. I regret it now. After I saw what that creep did to him, on the news, I felt bad for him. I even tried to see him, when he was in the hospital but the Captain had me denied. Told me I 'was a bad influence on his son.' Please. They still think of him as a little kid."

Olivia stood and followed Kevin and Elliot over to the sink, where he washed out his coffee cup and placed into the stainless steel dishwasher. "It looks like you've grown up, since then." She motioned to a small 5x7 wood framed photo laid on its side, sitting on the raised bar. She smiled briefly at the photo of Kevin and a younger Casey enjoying a picnic at a park, on a bright sunshine day.

"Yea. My ex-partner was in a relationship with a girl who wanted a baby but he couldn't have kids so, she asked me and I said yes. It worked for a little while and then he got jealous. I get Casey during the summer and she lives with her mom during the school year. Her mom's a teacher at her school." Kevin made his way back over to the coffee table and collected the two bowls, bringing them back to the sink for washing. When he turned around again to call for his daughter, he found her coming down the stairs with her backpack on.

Elliot glanced over at the preteen before thinking of his wording for his last question. "One last question; did Erik ever lose his temper around you? Any violence on his part?"

"Erik? No. I've seen him mad but not physical, not angry physical, anyway. He's more passive aggressive. Alex was the physical one. Guess that's why he became a cop. Why?" Kevin raised an eyebrow at the question.

Writing in his notepad, Elliot paused and looked up at the younger man. "Erik's not the type for revenge?"

Kevin laughed, finding amusement in Elliot's question. "Revenge? No. Not Erik. Erik would rather debate things, talk about things. He wouldn't get back at the person, even if they assaulted him. I know that for a fact." He turned and looked at his daughter, standing between Olivia and Elliot. "Got everything? Mom's not going to drive all the way back here just because you forgot Pokey, again."

Giving her father a bored look, Casey sighed and trudged back upstairs to check and make sure she had everything.

"People change from high school." Elliot blinked.

Inhaling and scratching his right side, Kevin shook his head. "After Alex found out about his girl making out with his gay little half-brother, we all took turns hazing Erik before stuffing him in a locker. After lunch, the entire football team was called into the Principal's office and Mr. Jones asked Erik if he wanted to press charges. He said no and instead made an excuse for us. He even begged Mr. Jones not to call the Captain. I guess that's when I started to notice him. After that, the team continued to give poor Erik hell." Shaking his head in regret, Kevin sighed. "Erik never said a word. It's like he expected it, ya know? It wasn't until they held him down and dressed him up as a fairy and then shoved him into the girl's locker room, after practice, that Alex kinda got the hint to lay off. A week later, they found out Erik's mom was terminal." He paused and sniffled as the memory came back to haunt him. "If you're looking for who offed the guy, it wasn't Erik."

~~~~~~~~~

The Candied Apple  
26 June, Friday  
11:30 PM

Elliot sat in the driver's seat, in an unmarked vehicle, across the street from the gay nightclub and watched patrons enter and leave, mostly in couples. The rain had let up but the storm still lingered above. Picking up his radio and pushing the button, he spoke quietly. "Captain, how long are we gonna sit here? He doesn't look like he'll hit here, tonight." He watched the entrance for the suspect that was wanted in a string of hate crimes against the gay community while Fin sat in the passenger seat and took photos.

Cragen's voice came back from a car, on the opposite side of the street, staring at the front door from a few car lengths back. "We'll give him another hour. Everyone stay in position." A pause before he spoke again. "Liv, anything around back?"

Olivia sat in her darkened car, backed into a corner parking spot, in the back lot and watched for anything unusual. "Not a thing. A few couples making out, a few leaving. I don't see our boy." She had gone back to picking apart a small Styrofoam cup to mask her boredom but it did little to occupy her thoughts.

Sighing and shifting in his seat, Elliot checked his watch and rest his elbow on the door. He watched a few more couples enter and noted a familiar face making his way into the bar. Clearing his throat, he picked up the radio again and pressed the button. "Captain, our boy just arrived." He released the button as his eyes fixed on another familiar face, also entering the bar. Pressing the button, he spoke again. "Erik Matthews is also in there."

There was radio silence for a complete minute as Cragen thought of how to approach the situation next. "Stay put. The attacks have been outside, so far. I don't think Dallas will try anything in a crowded space. As much as Erik's been through, he's a big boy."

An hour went by and the incoming crowd was winding down. After another forty-five minutes, the door to the club opened and Erik held the door open while the perp the squad was after stepped out and wrapped an arm around the ex-attourney. The two men started walking around the to the back of the building and stopped a few cars down and across from where Olivia had parked.

Olivia sat up in her seat and picked up her radio. "Dallas and Matthews are around the back, Matthews is leaning against Matthews' late model BMW, perp is making his move." Her eyes widened as Erik turned to unlock the driver's side door only to be shoved against his own car as the other man slammed Erik's head against the roof. Grabbing her door handle, she opened her door and stepped out in time to see Erik spin around and defend himself by blocking another blow with his left arm before punching the man once in the stomach and then sending the man sprawling away from him with a mean right hook. Hurrying to Erik's side and identifying herself as an officer, she bent down to cuff the man before glancing back to ask if Erik was alright. 

Erik panted and nodded as he wiped the corner of his mouth with the side of his hand where the assailant had managed one final swing. He leaned against the side of his car and turned to see the rest of the detectives making their way to them. He held up a hand to stop Elliot from getting too close to him. "I'm fine, Detective."

"We're gonna get you checked out by an EMT and then, if you don't mind, we need to get your statement, Mr. Matthews." Captain Cragen reached out his arm and placed it on Erik's shoulder, guiding the younger man over to where Olivia's car had been parked and away from the suspect that was being escorted over to an awaiting squad car. When they reached the car, Cragen stood in front of Erik and visually inspected the ex-lawyer. "Do you feel alright, Erik?"

Nodding again, Erik leaned against the hood of Olivia's car. "Yea, just a headache."

Cragen sighed. "The EMTs are on their way. If you're feeling up to it, we can give you a ride to the station for your statement." He turned his head to watch as the ambulance made its way into the small parking lot and waved them over to where he and Erik now stood. While the medic checked Erik out, Cragen made his way back over to talk to Olivia on what happened before giving directions to the rest of the detectives for controlling the scene before getting the report on the ex-lawyer's health from the medics. "How is he?" 

A well-toned medic with dark hair turned and glanced back at the captain. "He's in good condition. Gave him some antibiotic for the laceration on his forehead and he turned down a ride to the hospital but, all in all, he's doing good." The man in a blue t-shirt turned back to check the bandage just above Erik's left eye before giving him one more vision test to make sure.

Cragen eyed Erik, who sat on the gurney containing his annoyance. "Feel up to giving a statement?"

Sighing, Erik glanced over at the older man. "Do I have a choice?"

~~~~~~~

For the late time of night, the squadroom was unusually busy as Stabler and Fin escorted their suspect to an interrogation room and Cragen escorted Erik to Munch's desk for his statement. As Munch shuffled papers from another case off to the side of his desk and grabbed the statement form, Erik sat patiently in the chair beside the desk and waited for the senior detective to situate. 

"Don't take this personally but, I am really getting tired of dealing with you people." Erik sighed and glanced over at Munch as their eyes met. His elbow rest on the side of the desk and his hand cradled his right cheek. It was the last place he had wanted to be tonight and he knew his father would give him grief for the reason. The one thing that would make his night more miserable would be to have the retired Homicide captain waltz into the squadroom and demand an explanation of why his youngest son was taken to the SVU precinct.

Munch picked up his pen and started writing the essentials of the report. "None taken. This isn't where I want to be on a Saturday night, either. Luckily for you, this won't take long." Munch had been right about the time length of the report and even took the time to chat with Erik about the hours leading up to the incident. They were almost done when a familiar sight caused Munch to look from Erik to the doorway, where the newly appointed Brooklyn Homicide Sergeant Anders now stood. "Don't look now but your worst fear just walked through the door."

Alex Anders had been in full uniform looked rather exhausted but cleared his throat and straightened as he searched the room for his little brother. Spotting the Special Victims captain making his way back to his office, Alex spoke up. "Captain Cragen. I was on my way home tonight when I heard my little brother's name mentioned over the radio. Might I ask why?" Taking a quick look over at Munch's desk where Erik still sat, looking rather guilty, he turned back to find Cragen walking over to speak to him.

Sighing and shoving his hands in his pockets, Cragen swallowed. "Erik's fine, he just was involved in an incident at a club. He's giving his statement, now and when he's done, you can take him home." The captain came to a stop two feet from the sergeant and also glanced over at Munch's desk.

Standing and also making his way over to his brother, Erik raked his teeth over his lip and stared calmly at his brother. "I'm fine, Aleksei. No need for dramatics."

"'No need for dramatics.' After that nonsense with Martinelli, last year? You're damn right I'm going to be dramatic about hearing my half-brother's name mentioned along with a known gay club you, for some reason, love to frequent, come over the police radio." Alex paused to glare at Erik. "You're lucky it's me coming to get you and not Pop." Taking a closer look at Erik, his eyebrow raised as he noticed the bandage over Erik's eye. "What happened?"

Erik shifted and averted his eyes. "Nothing to concern yourself with."

"There was an altercation between Mister Matthews and our suspect." Captain Cragen chimed in. "If it's any consolation, the other guy looks worse."

The sergeant sighed angrily at his brother but turned his attention back to the captain. "Is he done?"

Cragen glanced back to Munch, who nodded completion of the report and then turned back to notice Erik's disguised embarrassment of the situation. "Yep. Go home, get some rest. If we have anything further, we'll let you know." He nodded a goodbye to them before watching Alex escort his little brother back to the elevator and turned to continue on to his office.

~~~~~~~

"Someone must've done something to you that you just thought, 'hey, I'll go beat up gay guys for a living.' But, there was a flaw in that plan, Dallas. You see, you could have just carried on with your pathetic life but, you must love punishment because now you have four innocent victims pressing charges on you. That's some hobby you got there." Olivia sat on the corner of the table and stared at their suspect calmly. "That last one actually fought back, didn't he? Bet that was a first for you." She and Elliot decided to take turns interrogating Dallas Campbell, a violent suspect with a mean streak and appetite for beating up homosexual men.

Dallas stared at the table, in front of him, his left arm rest on the cool metal surface while his right played with a scratchy, bloody tissue from his broken nose Erik had given him. "That pansy bitch got lucky. Hope he didn't break a nail." A smirk adorned his swollen face but it was short lived as Olivia slipped off of the table and came within inches of his face to stare at him.

Olivia smiled. "That _lucky pansy bitch_ just kicked your pathetic ass in front of a handful of cops. Not to mention, he isn't laid up in the hospital, like the other three men you attacked." She studied his expression as he slouched back in the chair across from her, picking his nails. She pushed away from the table and moved to walk behind him. "Assault is only the first charge they're hitting you with. The three men, in the hospital, had a hefty dose of Rohypnol in their system. But, you didn't have time to drug and rape the last one, did you? Your fingerprints are also all over your first three victims' houses, where you robbed them after beating them up and raping them. My partner is acquiring a search warrant for your home, as we speak. What do you think we'll find there? Hm? Maybe some leftover stolen possessions? Maybe some pawning tickets from the seven items you pawned from your first victim?"

Again, Dallas sat still and silent, slouched in the chair. He scoffed at the mention of the pawning tickets, as he hadn't been lucky enough to sell the few expensive items he had taken, on the black market.

Walking casually around to the other side of him, Olivia stopped. "Was there a method to choosing your victims? Other than being gay, all four men had successful jobs, good rapport with the community and each man had a family member with strong ties to the business world." She paused again to glance over at the man in the chair. "That last one would have been like kicking a hornet's nest, had you have gotten away with it. So, what's the matter, Dallas? Have something against upstanding homosexuals? Or, do you just like pissing off high ranking city officials and their families?"

Scoffing again, Dallas shifted in his seat. Smirking as the door opened and a man in a pressed Armani suit and salt and pepper hair stepped in.

"Not another word, Dallas. This interview is over." The man looked from his client to Olivia and smirked. "Jack Reagan. I'm Mister Campbell's attourney. Unless you're charging my client with something, we're done here. Any further questions you have for my client can be directed to my office." 

Olivia shifted. "He was arrested for assaulting a Defense Attourney outside of a night club as well as three prior assaults to homosexual men, in the same area."

"Then your victim will tell you the same thing I'm about to tell you. Charge him, or let him go. Either way, we're done here." Turning back to wave Dallas out of the chair, Reagan motioned for the man to step towards the door. He raised a taunting eyebrow at Olivia as he turned and followed Dallas out of the interrogation room.

Sighing and following them out of the room, she paused to give a deflated stare at Cragen. "He was so close to give us everything."

Cragen stared back at her and nodded. "Tomorrow morning, you and Elliot stop by and talk to Erik Matthews about what went on before the fight. Maybe he has some insight."

"You think they know each other?" Elliot leaned against the wall, the window to the empty room behind him. He stood there with his arms folded and watched the lawyer and Dallas stroll out of the squadroom.

Glancing from Olivia to her partner, he shrugged. "It's possible. His brother mentioned Erik frequents the club often and two out of four beatings happened in the parking lot. Maybe Erik's seen him around or heard about him from others."

Elliot shoved off of the wall and stepped closer. "That's a pretty big risk to take, if he had."

"Talk to him but do it nicely. And, in the morning. We don't need anyone upset from this, tonight." Cragen waited for them to nod in understanding before telling them to go home for the night. As they turned away, he stopped them again with another thought. "What's the update on Martinelli's murder?"

Pausing and turning around, Elliot walked back to where the captain stood and updated them on their visit to Erik's ex-boyfriend. "We talked to a Kevin Monroe, Erik's first crush, this morning. He mentioned that Erik was very passive aggressive when it came to bullies, in school but his brother Alex, on the other hand, could get pretty violent when it came to possessions of his. Knocking his little brother around for getting in bed with his best friend, having the entire Varsity football team hase Erik for snuggling up to Alex's girlfriend. Sergeant Anders is looking like a possible suspect but, we have a few more people to talk to, including Martinelli's cellmate. Cabot's getting us a rendezvous with him, tomorrow afternoon."

Cragen nodded and sighed. "Don't lose sight of the possibility that Justin Paxton might also have had a hand in Martinelli's demise."

"All the way from another facility?" Elliot quirked a brow. "He got what he wanted, Martinelli was in prison for his crimes."

Cragen shifted. "But for the wrong reason. Paxton involved Aaron Jasper and Erik Matthews, not to mention following Martinelli from town to town, just to make his brother's murderer pay for his crime. Maybe Martinelli's bunkmate was paid a visit by someone in Paxton's circle."

 

Continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Sing Sing  
Paul Reese  
Saturday 27, June  
9:04 AM

"I know my appeal didn't come back yet, and you're not here to tell me the dead bitch dropped the charges so, whaddaya want?" Paul slouched in the metal chair and nonchalantly glanced over at the two male detectives. Thinning blond hair was kept short, almost balding. A small, rounded face with bushy brown eyebrows being the only feature to stand out on his otherwise plain face. Scratching under his right jaw, he sighed and waited impatiently for the two detectives to stop sizing him up from across the table. "Well?" Draping an arm over the back of the chair, he made sure both detectives noted his well-toned biceps, as he flexed his arms in making simple movements. He had rolled up his sleeves to reveal his several tattoos on each of his arms and seemed proud of the fact of what they meant. Tattoos of gang signs and lettering with the affiliated "R.I.P." and a year underneath covered the man's upper torso and both arms in plain, black prison ink.

Munch grimaced and leaned forward. "Your cellmate is Justin Paxton, correct?" Munch tapped the folder on the table, in front of him to bring Reese's attention back to the conversation, instead of focusing on his muscles. Making prison trips was not one of his many hobbies and he detested talking to the filth inside, even more. 

Paul gave a bored sigh and rolled his eyes as he answered. "Yea, so?"

"He ever mention the names, Jacob Martinelli or Erik Matthews?" Munch tilted his head and watched the inmate's expression carefully.

Paul's eyebrows knitted together. "Who? No." He shook his head as he thought. "But, that other guy,... he was yapping on and on about him. 'That pretty bitch,' and 'I gotta surprise for him.' That's all he'd sqawk about." Rolling his eyes and looking away, he stared at the gray wall, on the far side of the room. 

The two detectives looked at each other before looking back to the inmate. Fin continued writing in his notes. "Which 'he' was he talking about? Martinelli?"

"No, the other guy." Another sigh to express his boredom of the topic. "It was always 'Erik this...' or 'Erik that...' and my favourite, 'I'll make that pretty bitch scream my name.'" He laughed and gave an erie smile. 

Fin stopped writing and looked up at him. "You sure it was 'Erik' and not 'Aaron'?"

Paul glanced over at the second detective and raised an eyebrow at the two names. "Yea, I'm sure. The guy was a lawyer or somethin. I caught him, one night, sprayin' his junk all over the guy's picture from the paper." He smirked and flirted with the street tough detective. Green eyes stared at Fin as Fin continued writing in his notepad. The tip of his tongue darted out to lick at his lips.

"Ever hear Paxton say anything of how he was going to make Erik Matthews pay?" Munch regained the man's attention by clearing his throat and tapping the desk between his partner and the convict.

Avoiding the man's gaze and shifting in his chair Paul picked his nails and smirked. "Nope. Everytime he realised he wasn't alone, he'd clam up." Looking up and straight at Fin, he winked and smiled as Fin's expression hardened.

~~~~~~~

Home of Russell Anders  
17431 E. Dean Street  
Saturday 9:14 AM

"Captain Anders, we'd like to ask Erik a few questions. May we come in?" Olivia and Elliot stood on the doorstep and took in the scent of morning blueberry muffins and coffee, coming from the kitchen. She looked up at the man who looked less than thrilled to see them on a Saturday morning and even moreso when he heard they wanted to speak to his son about the last evening's events.

Russell held onto the heavy brown front door and sighed. "He's resting, right now. Can't this wait? After last night's chaos, he's made himself sick." The captain had dressed in his weekend attire consisting of tan khakis and an off-white polo shirt with black sleeves and collar. His hair had gray more since the past year but remained mostly brown. Upon hearing the doorbell ring, he had just placed the muffins into the oven and pressed ON to make the coffee, on the coffee pot.

Erik made his way down the stairs and stopped halfway to the bottom. "It's okay, pop." Gray and white plaid pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt were his latest bed clothes. "It's just a few questions." Shrugging on a dark gray knit sweater and stepping the rest of the way downstairs, he paused again at the bottom of the steps to meet his father's unamused glare. Waving them in as his father walked back to the kitchen, he offered them a place to sit on the plush brown suede sofa, to their left. Erik sat down on the adjacent light gray sofa.

Elliot sat down on the end closest to Erik and took in the younger man's pale features. "Sorry to hear you're not feeling well."

"I'm just tired." Erik shrugged.

"That was one hell of a smackdown, you gave him last night. Anymore surprises up your sleeve?" Olivia tried to lighten the tension in the room. She could tell by the look on the captain's face as he turned to walk back to the kitchen that he hadn't been impressed with Erik still being on police radar, good or bad.

Turning his attention to Olivia, Erik sighed. "Yea, well, in my lifestyle, we have to look out for ourselves. The police won't do it. Certainly not my family, that is." He met eyes with her and held her gaze, letting her know that he was not joking. "Look, I already gave my statement, last night. There's nothing more to talk about." Leaning back in his seat, Erik blinked at the two detectives and eyed Elliot's writing in his notepad. "You have three other actual victims, why aren't you questioning them?"

Olivia shifted and crossed her legs. "We have questioned them and they're ready to testify but, we're here to ask you about your involvement with Dallas Campbell. When did you meet him?"

"My involvement?" Erik paused as Captain Anders stood at the room entry, from the kitchen and leaned against the wall, folding his arms and listening to what Erik had to say. "I didn't have any involvement other than meeting a few friends for a drink. He happened to be there at the same time. Sat down at the table next to ours and the next thing I know, he's chatting me up. They kept goading me to forget about Jake and that mess and shoved me out the door with him. He seemed like a nice guy and everything Jake wasn't so, I gave in." Feeling his father's angered stare, Erik didn't move to acknowledge him.

Elliot nodded. "So, who started the romance, first? You or him?" He looked up from his writing and glanced up at the man standing in the doorway from the kitchen before focusing on Erik. 

A long sigh. "A little hesitation but, I did. We got to chatting on the way to my car and he said he read about what happened to me and felt bad." 

Again, Elliot nodded. "What about you?"

Erik looked away and stared up, at the ceiling for a moment. He lowered his gaze and turned to focus on Elliot, waiting for an answer. "I just wanted to move on with my life." Keeping his gaze on Elliot and flinching as he heard the coffeepot beep in completion, he swallowed the rising lump in his throat. There was a silence for a moment before he heard his father push off of the wall and offer coffee to Elliot and Olivia. Erik hung his head as they accepted and waited for the man to turn back to the kitchen. "Look, yea, he clocked me and I fought back. End of story. Focus on the three men he did attack."

Olivia shifted again and sat forward. "Erik, we believe Dallas did choose you as apart of his homophobic assault. The other three men were just as successful as you, had a family member or lineage in high-ranking city stature. He might have even followed you to the club or around town, in efforts to try and get you to notice him. Think back. Do you remember seeing him anywhere else, before the club? It could be that day, two days prior, a week?"

Shaking his head, Erik's mind was a blank. "I can't recall ever seeing him before last night." 

Captain Anders returned a moment later with a tray of four empty white coffee mugs and a stainless steel decantre of coffee. He began pouring the hot, bitter brown liquid and handed them out, one by one. The first cup, he handed to Olivia and smiled adoringly at her. The next he handed to Elliot and then finally one to Erik before pouring the last cup for himself and sitting down next to his youngest son. "What does all of this have to do with my son?" He took a moment to glance over at Erik and see the embarrassment on his son's face.

"We believe that Erik was apart of a targeted group that Dallas Campbell assaulted because he felt threatened by them. Erik was the only one who fought back." Olivia answered after a brief moment.

Russell said nothing and only stared over at Erik in silent anger. When he did look back to the two detectives, he kept eye contact with Elliot. "You caught the bastard?"

Elliot cleared his throat before answering. "We arrested him for assaulting Erik, yes. He is currently not in our custody." Elliot stole a glance over at Erik and saw the discomfort of the conversation embrace Erik's face.

Russell turned to Erik and scowled. "That bastard assaulted you and you aren't pressing charges? Didn't I teach you anything?"

"Pop..." Erik sighed but didn't make eye contact with his father. "I fell for his lines, yes. But, he didn't do anything other than give me a headache. Please, I just want to move on with my life." Erik was becoming more and more nervous as he felt all three sets of eyes on him. He shifted and cleared his throat but found it impossible to deter the uncomfortable feeling from having his father staring at him. 

Sighing angrily and standing up, Russell stormed out of the room without another word. 

"Erik, the more Campbell's victims come out, the faster we can get him behind bars for attacking you. You can move on with your life but, staying silent when it comes to assault, is not the way to be free. Please help us." Olivia sat forward and tried to convince him to agree to pressing charges. She could see in his face that he was seriously considering it but also that he just wanted to remain neutral. She watched the struggle play out in his expression. In the silence of the room, her mobile rang, from her right coat pocket. Olivia excused herself and answered the call. 

Erik stared at his coffee in his cup, then looked to where Russell sat his down before walking away. "Before Jake, there were people with real problems that needed help from me. This all, somehow, goes back to him. Doesn't it?"

"Look, this is not your fault. You didn't cause this. Right now, you need to show him, he messed with the wrong defense attourney." Elliot looked from Erik to Olivia as she ended the call and walked back to the sofa. He could see by the look on her face that there was another call they were to be at. His brow furrowed in question but he quickly replaced it with a smile as he turned back to Erik again. "Think about it. You have my card, if you change your mind." He stood as Olivia told Erik goodbye and thanks for the coffee.

"Dallas Campbell is dead. Shot just outside 'The Candied Apple.'" Olivia waited for Elliot to sit down, in the driver's side and shut his door before finishing. "Munch is there now. Fin's running down the list of possibles who might have wanted Campbell dead. Captain wants us to verify the whereabouts of the other victims and follow up with Warner." 

"This means we're out of leads and the four victims, including Erik, won't get any closure for their attacks." Elliot stared at the screen door and could still see the outline of the young man standing in the doorway, watching them. As the car pulled away, the door closed and Elliot had a sinking feeling in his stomach. 

***********

SVU Squadroom  
5:15 PM

"Well, that was a waste of time. We're no closer to finding out who killed Dallas Campbell than we are to who killed Martinelli." Elliot rubbed his hands over his face and leaned back in his chair, stretching stiffly. The squadroom was barely staffed so that only he and Olivia and a few other detectives and uniforms sat at their desks and investigated their own leads. He felt as if they had called everyone in the state of New York to ask them is they knew anything about Dallas Campbell or had any interaction that put them in the path of the attacks. Very few tips moved on to the next one, even fewer were actually credible.

Olivia hung up from her phone call and stared at the paper she had been taking notes on. "Maybe not. Munch and Fin interviewed Paxton's cellmate, Paul Reese," she started.

Nodding, Elliot stared at her as she stood up, still holding the paper. "Yea, so?" With his hands clasped behind his head and the start of a headache coming on, he hoped she had the missing piece to the puzzle so that they could wrap up the case.

"Guess who has a brother that hangs out at the Candied Apple and knows all about Campbell." 

His brow furrowed. "The attacks started after Paxton moved in with Reese and Reese knows Paxton is gay and is gunning for a rematch with Erik." He paused to make sure he had connected the dots correctly and then came to the realisation of what the outcome would be, if left unfollowed.

At a pause in the conversation, a female officer walked up to Olivia and handed her a fax print out of Paul Reese's brother. "Jonah Reese, age thirty-two, one hundred forty-five pounds, dark hair, blue eyes, tattoo on his left shoulder of a pitbull." She reached over and handed him the fax, complete with photo, as she read off the man's description. "Apparently, he and Campbell had an altercation, in the parking lot, last week. The bouncer had to throw water on the two and threaten to call the police if they didn't vacate the premises. 

Elliot took the page and stared at the man's face as Cragen stepped out of his office and walked over to stand next to Olivia's desk, his hands in his pants pockets. "Alright. What are the chances he'll be there, tonight?"

"It's all possible since the tip said Reese practically calls it his second home." Olivia eyed the paper that now made its way over to the captain's hands. She was tired from looking over leads and finding no contact between victim and suspect other than the club. Still, she was tired of long hours and hundreds of phone calls of exhausting tips.

Cragen nodded and sighed as he held the fax in one hand, the other still in his pocket. "Round him up but do it quietly. Let's not have the community anymore stressed than it already is. Before you go, Warner has news." Placing the fax on Olivia's desk, he turned to head back to his office and stopped after a few steps. "Elliot, a moment?" Stepping back into his office, he walked around to his chair but didn't sit down as Elliot entered and stood just inside the door. "You doing okay?"

Shrugging and nodding, Elliot slipped his hands into his pockets. "Fine, Captain. Something wrong?"

"You've been distracted, lately. I'm not one to get involved in personal matters but, ever since the verdict, you're mind's been sidetracked." Cragen paused and took a breath, not wanting to overstep his bounds. "If something's wrong with the case... or, working too closely with Matthews...?" Another pause as Elliot shifted uneasily at the mention of Erik's last name. "Why don't you take the night and get some rest? We can have Fin join Liv."

Elliot shook his head. "I'm fine, Captain. We're all a little worn from this case. We'll catch the guy and then Erik and the other victims can rest at night, again."

Catching Erik's first name but not pressing the issue more, Cragen backed down but gave him a warning of if it went any further, Elliot would be pulled and given desk assignment for the rest of the case. "You see both Matthews and Reese in the club, you approach and get Matthews out of there. If Reese engages, you only nudge and let Matthews lead. Understood?"

Elliot sighed and nodded as he turned on his heel and walked over to the elevator to catch up to his partner, who waited for him before pressing the down button.

"Everything okay?"

Elliot answered as the doors opened and he waved her in first before stepping inside the car. "Yea. Just a friendly chat."

 

Continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Medical Examiner Building  
6:10 PM

Dr. Warner made some notes on a sample of blood that she observed through the microscope, in her office, while waiting for the two detectives to arrive. She was busy writing when the door opened and Olivia stepped in followed by Elliot. Turning around and clearing her throat, she set her pen down next to the pad of paper beside the microscope and guided them over to where the partially nude body of Dallas Campbell lay on an examining table. "There's some blunt force contusions on the right side of his head, possibly from a circular metal object. He was bludgeoned several times with it, as well as suffering from trauma to the abdomen and chest. At least three broken ribs and one punctured lung, in the scuffle. Bruising about the ribs has some old discolouration as well as new." She paused to turn their attention from his pale but hairy chest, to the back of his right hand, lifting it to show the bruises and gashes on the man's knuckles and fingertips. "No tissue under the nails but I did find some dark fibres and specks of blood droplets on the tips of his forefinger and thumb. A switchblade was recovered close to the body so, Campbell got in some defense as well as attack moves with his attacker."

"Any skin cells on the blade?" Elliot asked as he examined Campbell's right hand.

Shaking her head, Warner replaced the hand to the man's side. "The weapon landed in a puddle, which washed away any evidence on the blade. I did find a bigger blood stain on his shirt sleeve and I'm running a sample test now. So far, all I can tell you is that Campbell got in some swings before he was killed. Your attacker probably has a few bruises and cuts to match the victim. I'm placing time of death between five and six this morning."

Olivia sighed and shifted from one foot to the other. "There goes our main suspect in the beatings." 

"One more thing," Warner had turned to walk back to her desk and then stopped to turn back around to speak to the two detectives, "Campbell had sex before he died. Probably not consensual, or if it was, it was very very rough intercourse. Anal tearing, bruising where the perp pulled the posteriour apart and shoved himself in." Her tone had been slightly monotonous as if she hadn't found the reveal interesting yet, she had been very interested in the fact that Campbell had the status of being the aggressor in his assaults.

Olivia's brow furrowed as she eyed the man, lying on the table. Taking a step forward to ask her question, Elliot raised the sheet to the man's right hip and leant over to get a closer look at the bruising mark of a distorted handprint left on the man's bumcheek. "Any sign of semen?"

Melinda shook her head again and glanced over at Elliot, still studying the man's hip. "No. The perp was careful and used a condom. I found spermicide around the anus."

Elliot straightened and replaced the sheet. "Any workable prints from the bruising?"

"No. I am having a colleague of mine join me for another method on how to lift prints from skin. I'll keep you posted. I am marking it as the intercourse happened after the first beating that caused the bruising to his torso and broken ribs, and before he was stabbed." Melinda turned and continued back to her desk as Elliot and Olivia gave Dallas one last look before thanking her and leaving the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Candied Apple  
7:25 PM

Elliot stepped into the noisy club, scanning the crowd for Jonah Reese but finding someone else instead, sitting at the bar, off to the far right side of the room. The younger man was sitting on a stool and talking with someone while inching coyly closer to that person. Elliot had a hard time seeing the other man as the crowd blocked his view. The crowd parted as the other man leaned in and kissed a young man with short dark hair. Suddenly, the other's man's face became visible as the kiss ended and he pulled back to smile and reach for his drink, that sat neglected on the bar. Removing his mobile from his pocket and dialing Fin's number, he quickly let the other detective know that he hadn't found Reese, and that he'd be out in a few minutes. Fin called back a minute later and updated him that Jonah Reese had been spotted at another club a few blocks away and he was heading over to meet Munch and Olivia there. "I'll uh, be right there." He hadn't taken his eyes off of the young man at the bar.

Erik sipped at his drink and licked his lips, tasting the young man that he had mingled tongues with. His eyes were fixed on the tanned man beside him that now ran a hand along his chest and played with the buttons that held the white cotton material together. Setting the glass down and covering the man's hand with his, they kissed again and giggled as Erik tickled the younger man with a whisper of intimacy. Another kiss as Erik placed his hands at the man's waist and gently pulled him closer as their tongues sparred playfully. The roar of the music and noise from the other patrons drowned the footsteps that came closer and the soft "ahem" of the man that now stood in front of them and feigned disappointment at the scene he had witnessed.

"There you are! You said you were coming home an hour ago." Elliot's voice carried above the music. His words gained a spark of panic as Erik pulled away from the kiss and stared at Elliot in shock. He had hoped that Erik would catch on and not give him away and much to his surprise, the young counselour did just that.

Not sure what to say that wouldn't either cause Elliot to cringe or get Erik into anymore trouble, Erik thought of a neutral answer, though, he was slightly excited to hear Elliot use a relationship with Erik as an instant cover, instead of addressing himself as a cop. As he was about to explain that it was complicated, Elliot had relieved him of embarrassment. Erik cleared his throat and tossed a bored look over at the detective. "I didn't realise you were still keeping me on a clock."

Looking from one to the other, the prospective boyfriend stood up and backed up a step. Eyes widened as he looked back at Erik and pointed to Elliot with drink in hand. "You know him?" He quickly recovered and tossed Elliot a competitive look.

"He's..." Erik started.

Elliot smiled and placed an arm around Erik's shoulders while moving closer to him and throwing the other man a taunting look. "I'm his boyfriend." 

Erik stared unamused at Elliot, who winked back at him. "Ex." Looking back at the young man and trying to reassure him that he and Elliot were not together, he mouthed the words to "I'll call you later" as the handsome man flashed Erik a smile and turned to give one last glance over at Elliot, making sure the muscular detective wasn't brow-beating him with possessiveness over Erik, and turned and hurried off into the crowd. Erik sighed, feeling defeated. Looking back at his glass on the bar, Erik picked it up and took a gulp before speaking again. "Now, I know you're stalking me, Elliot. My pop put you up to this little joke or did you just think of it to ruin my dignity even further?" Taking the last gulp of his drink and setting the empty glass down on the bar, he hadn't looked back to Elliot as the detective sat on the stool next to him.

Elliot took note of Erik's lack of attention toward him as the counselour tried to hide both his excitement at the scene but also his disappointment of possibly getting lucky. "It goes a little deeper than that, actually." Looking around them for uninvited ears, he leaned in and lowered his voice as he explained. "Looking for someone dangerous, in here. Someone who knew Campbell."

Looking up from staring at the empty glass on the countre, Erik's brow furrowed as he turned to look at the man beside him. "In here?" Feeling a little crushed that Stabler had an ulteriour motive to see him, Erik sighed and brushed it off, reminding himself that Elliot was a married man and he shouldn't be jealous. Yet, he was hurt with the admission.

Elliot nodded.

"And here I thought you had feelings for me." Erik looked past Elliot and caught the eye of the bartendre, standing at the opposite end of the bar, talking to someone, as he motioned for another drink.

As the bartendre came closer to fill Erik's tumbler, Elliot placed a hand over the glass and made eye contact with the man. "He's done. I'm taking him home." He reached for his wallet and laid a twenty dollar bill on glass as he waved Erik to stand up and led him out of the club.

As they made it past the door, and heard it slam shut behind them, Erik stopped and turned to glare at the detective. "What the Hell was all that about?"

Elliot raked his front teeth over his bottom lip and looked around them before thinking of how to answer. "This isn't the place for this conversation." He grabbed Erik by the arm and turned him to walk over to Elliot's car. Hurrying across the street, he opened the door to the backseat and waved Erik inside, first. Catching an angry glance from Matthews, he exhaled as he climbed in after the younger man and shut the door behind him. "Dallas Campbell is dead. Killed outside the club, this morning." 

"You think I did it?"

"No. I just had to get you outta there." Elliot shifted on the seat to face Erik.

Erik sighed deeply, trying not to let his anger show. "Why? The abuser is dead so, you're going to stop me from living the rest of my life, doing the things I like?" Again, he was unamused at the detective's antics without explanation and was ready to open the door next to him and step out of the car. "Stay away from me, Detective Stabler. Your captain will be notified in the morning." Erik reached for the handle as Elliot placed a hand on his left arm to halt him.

"Campbell is dead and we believe his old cellmate might be involved." Shifting again, Elliot took a deep breath before beginning again. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing had come to him. He closed his mouth and looked away, feeling Erik's eyes stare at him. "I just uh, wanted to make sure you were safe."

Bowing his head and shaking it, Erik looked away to stare out the window of the passenger door on his side. "That's it, huh? You wanted to make sure I was 'safe', or alone? I'm not attached to anyone, Detective. I have no wife or husband I'm cheating on. I'm just moving forward with my life."

"You're also drunk, and that's your car in the parking lot. I can't let you drive while intoxicated." Both men were silent for a long moment before Elliot shifted again, this time sliding closer to Erik. "Look, I was there to get someone very dangerous out of there before something else happened but, I got a call that he was at another club. I saw you slammin' them back and couldn't let you do something you might regret later."

Turning to look at Elliot, controlling his anger, Erik just wanted to get out of the car and go home. "I can sure pick 'em, can't I?" He was silent for another moment before turning and opening the door. "Good night, Detective Stabler." Erik opened the door and started to step out of the car when Elliot grabbed his arm.

"I can't let you drive."

Erik inhaled and held his breath in anger. "Fine. Call a cab. Figuring that you're as anal as my brother," reaching into his pocket and removing his car keys, he dropped them onto the seat between them, "here's my keys. I should warn you, I did pick up a few things from Jake. I do know how to hotwire my own vehicle. Maybe you should arrest me now and keep me from getting back to my own life, huh?" His expression silently dared Elliot to speak but the man said nothing, only stared calmly back at him. Pulling his leg back in and shutting the door, he sighed. "Fine. Take me home, warden." With hands in his lap and a blank stare at the back of the headrest, in front of him, Erik had become bored with the tet-a-tet game he and Elliot were playing.

Silently, Elliot climbed out of the backseat and slid into the driver's seat and shut the door. 

"By the way, I only had two."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

When Elliot finally arrived at the club across town, "The Purple Light", he quietly made his way over to where Olivia and Fin were standing, just outside the club's front door. The club had been partitioned with yellow police tape and patrol cars with their lights on. "What'd I miss?"

"Jonah Reese tried to take out a few patrons before he was subdued. Munch is escorting him to the hospital. He was shot twice in the leg and two others were caught in the crossfire." Olivia gave him a recap as she stepped aside for the club door to open and the captain to step out after taking inside witness statements. "He'll live but one patron is dead and the other is in critical condition. What happened to you?"

Taking a deep breath in attempt to digest the information, Elliot nervously shifted before answering. "I had to take a drunk counselour home. He's not very happy with me, at the moment."

Fin ended the call he had received from Munch as Elliot walked up. "That was Munch. Doctors say Reese'll be fine but he's not talking. Other man caught in the crossfire died two minutes ago."

Silence fell over the group before Cragen spoke up. "Alright, Liv, Elliot, notify the families. Fin, IAB is ready for your statement." He watched as Fin turned to walk over to where two agents stood next to a squad car before waiting for Olivia to walk away so he could have a word with Elliot. "Everything okay?"

"Yea, Captain."

"I'm concerned that you're spending too much time with Erik Matthews. It's not my place to get into your business but he's not the focus of this investigation anymore. Everything alright at home?" Cragen stepped closer to make their talk more private. 

Elliot shifted again. "Captain, I was already inside when I got the call Reese was here. I saw Matthews having a little too much to drink and offered him a ride home. He's not too happy with me but, I couldn't let him drive after having a few."

Cragen nodded and excused him to join Olivia, who was waiting at the car she had taken with Munch. As he watched the two detectives drive away, he began thinking about Elliot's mental state and why he was so interested in taking care of the young counselour. Putting the instance out of his mind, he followed the car with Fin in it, down to IAB offices to support his detective. He knew Fin wouldn't act out of desperation and would try not to involve civilians but also knew Jonah Reese was a dangerous man and would prefer to take down as many innocent people as possible. 

 

Continued.


End file.
